


Love's Appeal

by tazzmatic



Series: SenGen Week 2020 [1]
Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Day 1- SenGen Week 2020, Just Senku thinking, M/M, No Dialogue, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28408764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tazzmatic/pseuds/tazzmatic
Summary: Senku hasn’t seen the appeal in being in love, but looking at Gen he starts to get it.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu
Series: SenGen Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2080713
Comments: 8
Kudos: 90





	Love's Appeal

**Author's Note:**

> I would never have managed this without the wonderful Misha!! Thank you so much!! 
> 
> Day 1 of SenGen Week 2020! Yes! Please enjoy!!

Senku has never understood the appeal of being in love. 

He doesn’t care if he is being honest about it. Love holds no interest to him. It’s theatrical and showy and illogical. No reason for it. That doesn’t mean he hates people being in love. Or that he doesn’t enjoy watching the odd romance movie himself. 

He just doesn’t understand why people are so obsessed with the _idea_ of being in love. Believing that it's the best thing in the world. That all a person needs to do is find that perfect someone and fall in love and be happy forever. 

Senku isn’t an expert, but even he knows it doesn’t work like that. Like everything in life, being in a relationship takes work. It doesn’t matter how happy someone is or how in love they are. If the people in the relationship don’t try to work together the relationship is going to fall apart. That’s not even taking into account that people simply fall out of love for a variety of reasons. 

For Senku, it is simply too much work for something likely to fall apart. 

When Asagiri Gen's name starts making rounds at his school, Senku lets his curiosity take over and looks into him. Even he can admit the man has a certain charisma when on stage, obviously enjoying the attention, demanding all eyes on him, looking handsome in his specially tailored suits. 

Still, he isn’t impressed. His magic is all tricks and illusions. Rigged game shows and popularity contests. It doesn’t hold Senku’s interest longer than a weekend. 

His book is half-assed. An obvious attempt to make some quick cash. Simple tricks and puzzles thrown together, easily learned for the wider audience. There’s something about the psychology behind everything that piques Senku’s interest, but he’s got so many other projects to do, he puts it on the back burner in his mind. 

Maybe someday he'll get around to figuring out what’s so fascinating about it. 

Then the world freezes for three thousand years and Senku has more important things to worry about. Like surviving. 

Senku’s opinion doesn’t change upon meeting Gen. He is obviously cunning, but shallow. Interested in only himself. Still, Senku appreciates knowing his priorities first hand, instead of trying to guess the other man’s motives. 

It changes when Gen immediately helps them defeat Magma in the tournament and then understands Senku’s ploy in fighting off Hyoga. 

Once an official member of the Kingdom of Science, Gen proves to be more than he first appeared, wearing a mask Senku hadn’t bothered to look under before. Underneath all his whining and complaining, Gen becomes an integral part of their team, helping to keep the kids entertained and helping the seniors with their chores. 

He soon has the whole village charmed, keeping them happy and motivated whenever Senku works them too hard. 

Senku doesn't realize how comforting it is to have another person around who knows about the modern world until Gen’s there. Senku enjoys teaching the villagers about their world, but it’s exhausting to always have to explain every little thing. 

With Gen there, Senku can make a reference and the other man instantly understands. It also means Senku no longer has to explain everything by himself, Gen taking over the job, going into detail about the modern world, leaving the complicated science talk to Senku. 

It makes sense to want to spend more time with Gen as the only modern person around. To be able to talk and reminisce fondly of their past life. To learn more about him, like the fact he was working towards a psychology degree, which explains a lot, really. It’s surreal and amazing, listening to Gen talk about something Senku knows so little about. 

Gen silently comforting him over his dad's gravestone and then building an observatory for him doesn't mean anything. Despite how Gen acts, he’s a very caring guy who does his best to take care of everyone around him. Discreetly, of course. Using his mentalist skills, lying and manipulating people into doing what’s best for them. The world will burn before Gen admits to being a decent guy. 

Like how he constantly makes sure Senku sleeps and eats whenever he becomes too focused on a project. Senku is ashamed to admit it takes him longer than it should have to realize what Gen is doing. Even knowing doesn't help, however. When Gen thinks it's time for Senku to sleep, he'll find himself in bed within ten minutes. 

It would be more annoying if Senku wasn't so impressed by it. Especially when Gen gives him that smile, never admitting one way or another of tricking Senku when confronted. 

Senku hasn’t seen the appeal in being in love, but looking at Gen he starts to get it. He enjoys watching Gen work, even if it’s mundane things or watching him entertain the citizens of the Kingdom with his magic tricks. He’s happy with Gen by his side, helping him without being asked, understanding him when Senku has trouble understanding himself. Either silently being someone for Senku to lean on when the weight of everyone's expectations is too much or talking him through his attacks when his emotions become too much. 

Realizing he has a crush on Gen shouldn’t be as surprising as it is. He depends so much on Gen’s support, it’s natural he develops feelings for the older man, as irritating as it is. But he knows relationships take work and he’s far too busy trying to revive civilization to worry about something like love. He quickly decides he won’t tell Gen. Ever. 

Besides, Senku depends too much on Gen for any awkwardness to form between them. He knows Gen would let him down gently, would even try his best to not make Senku feel weird about it. It would still be there, surrounding them, and Senku would rather avoid it by any means necessary. It’s better this way. 

Gen never needs to know. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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